Back to map
Indonesia · Sumatera Utara

M3.1 Earthquake near Kabupaten Tapanuli Tengah, Sumatera Utara (Indonesia)

UTC time: 2026-03-20 19:49:00 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.1
Depth
23.0 km
Source
EMSC

Sumatera Utara · Kabupaten Tapanuli Tengah

Country overview

Map

About this earthquake

On March 20, 2026 at 19:49 UTC, a magnitude M3.1 earthquake occurred near Kabupaten Tapanuli Tengah, Sumatera Utara (Indonesia). With a focal depth of about 23 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude are often felt but rarely cause damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Indonesia: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 40 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.3.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 23 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 23 km
Shallow
23 km
23 km — shallower than the regional average (43.4 km)
Regional average: 43.4 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Sinabung Activity reported
    Distance: 165 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'460 m ·Last eruption: 2021 ·Indonesia
  • Singkut
    Distance: 175 km ·Caldera(s) ·Elevation: 2'181 m ·Last eruption: 1881 ·Indonesia
  • Sorikmarapi
    Distance: 183 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'145 m ·Last eruption: 1986 ·Indonesia
  • Malintang
    Distance: 208 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'988 m ·Indonesia
  • Talakmau
    Distance: 264 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'911 m ·Indonesia
  • Tandikat-Singgalang
    Distance: 330 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 2'879 m ·Last eruption: 1924 ·Indonesia

Sumatera Utara

Context for this earthquake

27 Sep 2025 – 27 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 91 Catalogue entries

Of 90 other entries for this area and period, 68 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Indonesia

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Indonesia

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

Share